It's About the Heart
by ElisabethMcCawley
Summary: Everybody has a story. Sorceress has a legend
1. Default Chapter

A/N. This is for some of the lodging houses floating around the net. Well for those of you who know what I'm talking about you know that you have to write a story about yourselves. I was thinking of using this one, let me know what you think.  
  
* The songs in here are from "Moulin Rouge" I didn't write them!  
  
"One day I will fly away leave all this to yesterday. What more can I -"  
"Thanks kid, we're all done for today" yelled Mr. Holmes, or better known as the director. Like _some_ of us here, I started out with a good life. The name Hollingsworth held great importance from the civil war and we were all ordered to live up to the name at all times. Thats why everyone, most of all my family was surprised when I said I wanted to act. At that time, women weren't really welcome on stage and those who preformed were thought to be easy. My mother thought it was a silly idea and I should stick to something more lasting. In her mind I would finish my education at the finest schools, Keep my name in society, and when the time was right, be introduced to boys from some of the finest families in the south. I, of course wanted nothing to do with this. I knew the type I liked and snooty, full-of-themselves- boys didn't hold highly in my mind. I prefered to marry for love, an idea I had gotten out of my mother's romance novels. My father cursed the day she ever brought a book into the house saying it put ideas of foolish love in my head. In fact, I picked up more from my dad then I did my mom. I learned how to gamble like the best of them, I learned the fun of boxing and playing baseball, oh and pants! they were much more comfortable then any dress. Oh yes, my mother LOVED that. After my dad died, she had some of the town's most well mannered ladies come and try to erase all the "Bad influence" out of my head, but that's another story. Where was I ? the play, right. I eventully got all changed and left the building. I didn't feel like going right home, it wasen't yet dark and just the right temp. so I started to climb up on boxes to watch the boys reherse their parts. All of a sudden everybody was blocked but one. His name was Ben and he was just wonderful, well ok I had never talked to him personally but still he was wonderful. For a reason that is still beyond my control I heard myself saying to the glass in the window "Do you believe in love at first sight? Nah, I betcha don't, you're probably too sensible for that. Or have you ever, like, seen somebody? And you knew that, if only that person *really* knew you, they would, well, they would of course just forget about everybody and everything else, and realize that YOU were the one that they wanted to, just, grow old with. Have you ever fallen in love with someone you haven't even talked to?"(from: WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING) but there would be a minor..ok major problem getting to talk to him. He is a yankee! Now me, I couldn't care less whether he was from venus or something but I knew my mother would not think that way. Taking one more look I jumped off the box earning a dissaproving look from this older couple despite my graceful landing.  
  
  



	2. The Meeting

Eventully I made it home after lollygagging most of the way. When I flung open the door it was quiet. A little too quiet. Usually there was some type of music playing or talking coming from behinde rooms. I let it go and headed into the kitchen for a snack. Taking an apple from the basket I noticed a note in my mom's handwriting.   
_"Elisabeth, we are at Mike's. Put on that new dress I bought you and come join us. Jessie can't wait to see you. Love, mom" _ "Oh no, not that dress" I said to whomever might be listening. Not that it wasen't pretty...as far as dresses go, it was too tight. It was a pretty color, this navy blue and the only reason I got it was because I saw Ben walking with a girl who had on a similer ensamble. _*Boy did I have it bad or what?*_   
  
Good old Uncle Mike, I liked him. He was my dad's younger brother and acted just like him I thought as I pulled the killer dress over my head. I ignored it though, complaning about anything wouldn't make it go away. I learned that when my mom remarried. But I was looking foward to seeing Jessie, maybe she would have some ideas how to break the news to my mom and getting Ben to talk to me. So I left the house and ran the few blocks down to the house. When I got there, my shoes were a little scruffed up and my hair was falling out of place. I did the best I could pinning it up again and hoped nobody would notice my shoes. Almost immidietly I was whisked upstairs with Jessie and before I even thought of how to approch the subject I started to tell everything. Yes I had this big speech prepared for when the timing was right, but it was just easier to talk. All the while she stood looking at me as if I'd just robbed a train, killed all the passengers, and then just threw the money away and at the end all she told me to do was forget about him. "You know Aunt Katherine's and Allan's tempers" was her warning. She was right, they both could get pretty mad "Yes, we've met!"  
  
I figured the only way to convince Jessie that Ben wasen't some miserable peice of Yankee slime was for her to actully see him, see the way he acted towards people so I had her come to the next rehersal and to my surprise, she liked him! On the way home she was begging me not to tell her dad. "Jess, calm down. I won't tell him, unless you plot some evil way to take him away from me. Then it's in God's hands" Well she held up her end of the deal and didn't take him away. I kept my mouth shut and didn't even let on. Eventully I got up the nerve to talk to Ben and we made plans to take a walk over the weekend and I was very much looking foward to it. At home, the usual. My mom was in the reading room eating up the latest romance book, something which Allen could never understand, he didn't relize that slipping into a book was a wonderful escape where people loved eachother was very refreshing for many people, and as for Satan's secertary, he was pacing back and forth talking to himself about the raise in tobacco prices and how we may have to let some of our wokers go.  
  



	3. The Bright idea

Leaving all that behinde me, I trugged upstairs being extra careful to pick up my feet as I walked. I was so deep in thought I almost tripped over my sister Charlotte, who was looking at my parent's wedding picture. I tried to ignore that and told her I was meeting Ben. She wasen't exactly the first person I wanted to tell, but Jessie wasen't home. "Daddy wouldn't let you" was the first thing she said "He was really strict on things like that. It's the only thing I can clearly remember" I got the hint, I knew what she wanted but I"ve told her the only things I can remember myself, but she just keeps asking as if the more she asks the more I will remember about John Damien Hollingsworth. "Well yes, you could be right. Maybe he would tell me no, but he wouldn't without giving me a good reason. But you wanna know more. OK. I remember his pockets"  
"His pockets?"  
"No his socks. Of course his pockets. thats what I said. Now, every time he used to come home I would go run into his arms and ask if he brought me anything. Every time he used to swing me around and drop me on the couch. He used to say he was dropping me like a sack of potatoes. Then he would hang up his coat and tell me to check the pockets and I would spring from the couch like the dickens and check and every time there would be something. A stick of gum, spare change, drawing pencils. Then when he died I still ran to the closet and checked the pocket's out of habbit. I put my hand inside and it was all stiff and cold because it had just come back from the cleaners. Thats how I knew it was true that he was really gone."  
"And this is his pockets" she asked me   
" I said it, I used it in a story, what would you like me to do? embroider it on your underwear?"  
  
For my walk, I decided to go with a "lady" outfit. I figured if somehow my folks found out maybe they would be less harsh on me if I was dressed like a lady. Something they wanted me to always do, not when I wanted something. I struggled with the clothes sore all over. Yesterday I forgot where I was and wipped my mouth with my hand after taking a drink. Allan flipped out and I got up close and personal with the wall- I felt like I've been hit by a train. But I digress. Anyway I had the idea flowing around my head to leave. This man was so different from my dad and I didn't want to meet anymore walls anytime soon. I figured I would tell Ben I wanted to leave today. Now remember how we said we were just going to take a walk? well we only said that in case anyone heard us. Old man Edwards overheard us making our plans and tipped off Allan and my mom. Luckily for us, we didn't want the park. I hurried up to this old, deserted plantation and eventully made it up to the top balcony. It was a beautiful picture. It was now night and all the stars were out. It was high enough so you feel like your dancing on clouds, you could see everything. I don't know how Ben made it there before me, but there he was. I gave him a hug and tried to tell him I was going to leave. I wanted to get it over with because I didn't want to spend the whole time wondering how in the world I was going to say it. But I didn't get very far "No, let me go first" he said. "You didn't say you had anything to tell me" was my response  
"Well, I tried but you wouldn't let me have the chance". He was right I'd been trying to delay the moment for a little while and started random babbling. "Ok go ahead" I mumbled. He gave me that beautiful killer grin "Great. It's a song. Our song, you know from the play" he reminded me lugging a gramaphone out from the shadows(A/N. I don't know if a gramaphone could actully record something but for my pride's sake lets say it could =;)   
The music started and he turned formal "Well Miss. Hollingsworth, may I have the pleasure of this dance or is your card all filled?" taking his hand I replied "Yes, I belive I do have a spare dance or two". As if on cue the words started flowing  
  
_My gift is my song, and this one's for you  
You can tell everybody, this is your song  
And it might be quite simple, then it starts  
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind  
That I Put down in words, How wonderful life is now you're in the world  
Sat on the roof, and I kicked off the moss  
Listened to some voices, got me quite cross  
But the sun's been kind, while I wrote this song  
It;s for people like you that keep it turned on  
So excuse me for forgetting, but these things I do  
You see I've forgotten if the greatest thing was you  
But the thing is, that I really love you   
Yours are the sweetest stars I've ever seen  
And you can tell everybody this is your song  
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words  
How wonderful life is, now your in the world  
_


	4. 4

I put my head on his shoulder and though *_There now, this is what I think of that stupid war*_ and to my dismay, the music ended. This was new to me. _ *Is this like the books? Is he gonna take me away from here? Is he going to say he loves me? Where's the white horse?*_  
  
Well thats all I can type for now. I have more but I have to know people like this before I add on anymore. I hope your patient, I leave for vacation in 2 days so I hope you won't be lonsome without more of this story. Hang Loose


	5. You don't own me

I didn't want the music to end. I didn't care if I ever saw my white horses or my foot popped, or even saw sparks. I couldn't remember being so happy as I was just there dancing. For all I knew the world could have ended and I was happy. I never wanted the music to end because I knew once it did I would have to tell Ben I planned to leave. I could have just left without a word but I knew he would hear something about it somehow and I wanted to tell him instead of him hearing it though the mindless town gossip. But the music stopped and I did tell him. I had to tell him.   
He took it much better then I thought and agreed to keep everything a secret and making me swear to write him every chance I got. I accepted these terms, patted him on shoulder and left to pack my things.  
  
Once I got home I couldn't think straight. I started taking things out of my closet in a blur. I took pants, shirts, socks, everything but dresses. I wanted nothing more to do with the life of shallow minded nitpickers who couldn't see past their hate and demanded everyone under 18 saw things the same way they did. I left a note for my sister   
Hey there kiddo,   
I'll bet my bottom dollar on the fact that if your reading this now I'm gone. I'm not coming back. This isn't exactly going to be poetry because I'm rather in a rush but I want you to know your a good sister. You really are and I just wanted to tell you not to let anyone change your dreams and thoughts. Those are all yours and nobody has the power to take them away- no matter what anyone tells you. I have a pretty good idea of where I'm going but I don't dare write it down in case it falls into the wrong hands, so I don't want you to worry. Hopefully one day i'll see you again. I love you always  
  
I left to meet Jessie down by the train yards. I didn't want to go alone so I begged her to come down with me. It was rather risky doing this in the early evening instead of late at night but either one of us could make noise outside and our neighbor carried a gun so you can imagine that would be scary. We had some time to kill so we both said whatever was on our minds. Soon my train was pulled into the station and the attendent was loading my bags on the car. I was on the train when- "Hey wait. One last hug" Jessie said hoping on. Just before she let go she said "I'll join you one day." "don't forget that" was the last thing I heard before the train pulled off. She followed along the platform as far as it would go and I waved back like crazy. She almost ran into the pole and I started to laugh. I had mixed feelings about this whole ordeal. I knew I would miss my family like mad but I was very excited about the new possibilities and hopefully the new people I would meet.  



End file.
